Camp Lemonnier
Camp Lemonnier is a United States Naval Expeditionary Base,[1] situated next to Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti City, and home to the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM).[2] It is the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa.[3][4] The camp is operated by U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia; CJTF-HOA is the most notable tenant command located at the facility as of 2008.
Camp Lemonnier was originally established as garrison for the French Foreign Legion. The base was leased by Djibouti to the United States in 2002, along with the right to use the neighboring airport and port facilities. The base supports Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) and is the centerpiece of a network of around six U.S. drone and surveillance bases stretching across the continent.[4][5] The latter air bases are smaller and operate from remote hangars situated within local military bases or civilian airports. Due to its strategic location, Camp Lemonnier also serves as a hub for aerial operations in the Persian Gulf region.[4]
Djibouti is strategically located by the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Gulf of Aden from the Red Sea and controls the approaches to the Suez Canal. As a result, the country hosts many other foreign military bases, including a Chinese naval base, a French airbase, an Italian Support Base and a Japanese base. The United States Pentagon has accused the Chinese of targeting U.S. military aircraft with a high-powered laser near its Chinese military base in Djibouti.[6]
Unlike French troops, who are allowed to enter Djibouti city and interact with the locals, US troops may only leave Camp Lemonnier by special permission, and most of Djibouti City is off limits.[7][8] However, in 2015 a US military investigation concluded that nineteen members of the U.S. National Guard, 775th Engineering Division, had sex with prostitutes at an off-base residence in Djibouti. Sex trafficking in, and around, Djibouti has been a persistent problem.[9]